Trailers such as, for example, horse trailers and other cargo trailers, and campers and other recreational vehicle trailers, can be attached to a towing vehicle by a ball and socket hitch, gooseneck coupler, fifth wheel coupler, or other coupling means. Particularly with fifth wheel couplers, it is necessary to raise the front end of the trailer to a sufficient height to permit the towing vehicle to back under the kingpin in order to couple the fifth wheel. The front end of the trailer is usually raised by means of jacks that can be powered hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically. Typically, operation of the jack is controlled by an electric switch mounted on the trailer.
Trailer jacks typically have a drop leg so that they quickly engage the ground and are ready for lifting the trailer. Some trailer jacks, however, cannot be adapted to include drop legs. This is particularly true of trailer jacks having electrically linear actuators housed in cylindrically-shaped housings. These trailer jacks must be electrically actuated to first engage the ground and then to lift the trailer. This can result in an undesirably long period of time to lift the trailer because the time to engage the ground often exceeds the time to lift the trailer. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved electric linear actuator system.